I agree. On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 1:08 PM, Hollywood <[email protected]>wrote:
> > plain, > > What a fucked-up deal. Hiring fucking civilians to protect our > professional soldiers. > > On Jul 27, 10:36 am, plainolamerican <[email protected]> > wrote: > > yeah, I'll bet some of those soldiers would love to be making > > contractor wages > > wb > > > > On Jul 27, 6:24 am, Travis <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > >http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/25/AR200. > .. > > > > > *Military Weighs Private Security on Front Lines* > > > Firm Could Have Broad Protection Authority in Afghanistan > > > > > By Walter Pincus > > > Washington Post Staff Writer > > > Sunday, July 26, 2009 > > > > > The U.S. military command is considering contracting a private firm to > > > manage security on the front lines of the war in Afghanistan, even as > > > Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says that the Pentagon intends to cut > back > > > on the use of private security contractors. > > > > > On a Web site listing federal business opportunities, the Army this > month > > > published a notice< > https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=623e06f2f116f482.. > .>soliciting > > > information from prospective contractors who would develop a > > > security plan for 50 or more forward operating bases and smaller > command > > > outposts across Afghanistan. > > > > > Although the U.S. military has contracted out security services to > protect > > > individuals, military bases and other facilities in Iraq and > Afghanistan, > > > this contract would award a commercial company unusually broad > > > "theater-wide" authority to protect forward operating bases in a war > zone. > > > > > "The contractor shall be responsible for providing security services, > > > developing, implementing, adequately staffing, and managing a security > > > program," the notice said, adding that the contractor would have to be > > > available "24 hours a day, seven days a week." > > > > > The U.S. military currently has 72 contracts that provide 5,600 > civilian > > > guards, mostly local Afghans, at forward bases across Afghanistan, > according > > > to Lt. Cmdr. Christine M. Sidenstricker, chief of media operations for > U.S. > > > Forces-Afghanistan. The intent of the proposed contract is to bring all > > > "disparate and subordinate contracts" under single, theater-wide > management > > > at a time when the U.S. forces are expanding, she said. > > > > > The Army has not issued a formal proposal for a contract, but the > notice > > > says that interested companies should reply by Wednesday and that a > formal > > > request for proposals should follow. The "anticipated award date" for a > > > contract is Dec. 1, according to the notice. > > > > > The request for information comes as Gates is moving to put soldiers > back in > > > charge of security roles that contractors have filled in recent years. > > > Drawing on its experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Defense > Department > > > recently organized a task force to measure the military's dependence on > > > contractor support in training and security, with the goal of > determining an > > > appropriate mix. > > > > > Lawmakers, too, have raised concerns about the cost of contractors and > about > > > outsourcing what have traditionally been government roles. > > > > > The Commission on Wartime Contracting, a bipartisan congressional > panel, > > > noted in a recent > > > report< > http://www.wartimecontracting.gov/images/download/documents/reports/C.. > .>that > > > in previous wars, military police protected bases while other service > > > members pursued the enemy. "Contractors are now literally in the center > of > > > the battlefield in unprecedented numbers," the commission said, > creating "a > > > need to define specific functions that are not appropriate for > performance > > > by contractors in a contingency operation." > > > > > Meanwhile, Sen. Claire > > > McCaskill<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m001170/ > >(D-Mo.), > > > chairman of the Senate subcommittee on contracting oversight, said > > > her panel had "revealed major concerns about the use of private > security > > > contractors in Afghanistan." She added that a hard look needs to be > taken > > > "at where we have gone wrong in the past, to ensure that the military > does > > > not repeat history." > > > > > Afghan forward operating bases are often considered dangerous posts. An > > > American soldier was critically injured this month when insurgents > attacked > > > Forward Operating Base Salerno, near the eastern border town of Khost. > Two > > > U.S. troops died July 4 at Combat Outpost Zerok, also near the Pakistan > > > border, in an insurgent assault. > > > > > In the worst attack on an outpost, roughly 200 insurgents broke through > > > security walls last year at an outpost in Konar province and killed > nine > > > American soldiers. Sen. James > > > Webb<http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/w000803/ > >(D-Va.), > > > a member of the Armed Services Committee, recently asked the > > > Pentagon's inspector general to investigate whether security at the > post was > > > adequate. > > > > > With Afghan army and police officers totaling roughly 160,000, and the > > > number of U.S. service members in Afghanistan set to grow to 68,000 by > > > year's end, the U.S. military is moving to protect the facilities where > > > personnel will be based. But many experts say commanders do not have > enough > > > forces. > > > > > "We don't want to waste scarce Afghan army and police, so we must be > > > creative," said Michael E. O'Hanlon, a senior fellow and military > expert at > > > the Brookings Institution. > > > > > But O'Hanlon also said he is concerned that if contractors were to take > over > > > security at forward operating bases, they would be the first to see > hostile > > > fire, and they -- not soldiers -- would have to decide whether to > employ > > > weapons against an enemy. > > > > > Instead of hiring a private firm, O'Hanlon said, the Americans and > Afghans > > > could create a local version of Iraq's Facilities Protection Service, > the > > > modestly trained but government-paid guard force that was pulled > together to > > > provide protection for government ministries in Baghdad and the oil > fields. > > > "We should create a different branch of the Afghan security forces that > has > > > minimal training," he said. > > > > > At a town hall meeting at Fort Drum, N.Y., on July 16, Gates said that > the > > > military had let contracting "grow without the kind of controls that we > > > should" have had. The purpose, he said, was "to try and free up as many > > > soldiers for actual combat duty, rather than having them do things that > > > civilian contractors could do." > > > > > Contractors, Gates noted, have done a variety of jobs, including > running > > > dining facilities and doing laundry, cleaning chores and security work. > "So, > > > we're kind of going back through all of these roles, at this point, to > > > figure out where military ought to be doing these things and where > civilian > > > contractors can be," he said. > > > > > __,_._,___- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. 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